Saffron’s pricy but all you need is a pinch

It’s pricy but just a pinch of saffron is all you need

I went to my local saffrontarium — which is where they sell saffron, of course — and bought a hit of saffron that cost $500 an ounce.

I did not purchase an entire ounce. No one purchases an entire ounce. The bottle I picked up contained a mere 0.03 ounces of the stuff. It cost me a cool $14.99.

The good news is that saffron is a potent spice, and it takes just a small amount to impart its heady, perfumed flavor to any dish. That $14.99 jar is good for several meals.

Saffron costs so much because it is so hard to obtain. It comes from the stigma of a certain type of crocus, which only has three threads per flower. No one has figured out a mechanical way to pick the saffron, so it must be harvested by hand — but only in the morning, because the afternoon sun will cause the delicate threads to burn.

On top of that, it takes 4,000 flowers to yield a single ounce of saffron. No wonder it’s half as expensive as gold.

But is it worth it? Oh, is it ever.

I had thought of making a classic saffron risotto, but then I saw this recipe, and I knew I had to try it. Penne with saffron is cooked the same way as a risotto, only with pasta instead of rice. I had never heard of cooking pasta this way before, but it turned out even better than I had hoped — and I was hoping for something great.

As with risotto, you begin with onions cooked in olive oil and butter until tender. Then you add the penne and one ladle of simmering stock. Stir until the stock is almost all absorbed, and repeat the process until the penne is completely cooked through.

The saffron — just a pinch — is only added to the last ladle. But it is enough to imbue the entire pot with its rich flavor. One taste, and you’ll want to thank those hard-working saffron harvesters.

My next dish was a main course, chicken with saffron rice. The recipe came from Jacques Pépin, which may explain — along with the saffron — why it is so exceptionally satisfying.

At the heart of the dish is arborio rice that is cooked in chicken stock and flavored with saffron.

One other ingredient makes it stand out, a mixture called alcaparrado. This is a Spanish favorite made up of equal amounts of green olives, pimentos and capers. It was an astonishing addition to saffron sort-of-risotto and chicken.

At last, I could turn my attention to dessert. For my first effort, I baked an old-time saffron cake. How old time? According to cookbook author Bert Greene, the recipe has been passed down from family to family for several centuries. Whoever first created it, and whenever it was first made, it is certainly a recipe worth keeping.

So where does the saffron come in? It’s there in every bite, as a warm undertone that forms the base for the other flavors to play off.

But saffron takes the main stage in my other dessert, saffron panna cotta.

Panna cotta is an ethereally soft, molded cream dish; it holds together better than pudding but is not nearly as rigid as, say, Jell-O. Though it is easy to make, it could not be more elegant.

The saffron taste in this dessert is gentle but persistent. The sweetness of the panna cotta brings out unsuspected depths in the spice. If you want to impress someone, serve a saffron panna cotta.

Heck, if you want to impress someone, serve a saffron anything.

Distributed by Tribune News Service

Recipes

Penne with saffron

Yield: 4 servings

6 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock

3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for serving (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

12 ounces uncooked penne

Pinch saffron

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the stock to a boil. Heat the butter and oil in a separate pot, add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the penne and stir until it is shiny and coated with fat. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it has been absorbed.

Continue adding stock, a ladleful at a time, as if making risotto, until the pasta is completely cooked. You may not need to use all of the stock. Stir the saffron into the last ladleful of stock before adding it to the pot. Mix well until the dish is an even yellow color and smells of saffron.

Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle with the Parmesan, mix well and stir in a pat of butter, if you like. Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve.

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño pepper, or more or less depending on your tolerance for heat

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon saffron threads

2 1/2 cups water

Tabasco sauce, optional

Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the chicken pieces in one layer and saute over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the drippings in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Stir in the bay leaves, tomatoes, olives, pimentos, capers, jalapeño, salt and saffron, add the water, and mix well.

Return the browned chicken pieces to the skillet, pushing them down into the liquid and rice until they are embedded in the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Test to see if the rice is done; if not, cover and simmer longer until it is soft and creamy.

To serve, place a chicken thigh and drumstick, with some of the rice mixture, on each of 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle with Tabasco sauce, if desired, and serve.

Combine the cream, sugar, grated zest and saffron threads in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring gently. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes to develop the flavor and color. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin into the still-hot cream mixture (do not dump the gelatin, which will cause it to clump) and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a large pitcher and stir in the milk. Pour the mixture into chilled dessert cups or wine glasses and chill in the refrigerator until set, 4 to 6 hours.

If you like, you can unmold the panna cotta to serve. Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the cup, dip the cup quickly into hot water and gently shake the dessert onto a plate. Serve with fresh fruit.